Saxman's USA Rail Tour 2010!

[WhoozOn1st]

Day 10- May 20, 2010Trains and Trolley's in San Diego

Today was a day of train riding for us. We got up at about 8:00 AM to check out of our hotel and headed back to the Santa Fe Depot in San Diego. Our plan was to take the San Diego Trolley down to the Tijuana and back. We both stored our bags and took the hour ride down to the border. We decided on not going across the border into Mexico but at least I got to see it. The Trolley stops right at the border crossing where you are able to walk across if you wish. Many do so everyday. The problem is not getting into Mexico, but it's the coming back that can cause problems I heard.

Patrick and I headed back north on the Trolley where we rode around downtown a bit before heading back to the depot. Patrick was going to head back home which was near LA. I thought I would ride part way with him. So we caught Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner #775 back north. I decided to get off in Oceanside so I could ride the new Sprinter service over to Escondido.

Some pics from the second day of hanging out with saxman, which is always fun and interesting:

Whooz Saxman, 5-20-10 (Saxman and Whooz make a run for the border from San Diego, then head back north.)

About 1.5 years after I was rousted at San Diego by Amtrak Special Agent Pat for taking pictures, we were hassled yet again by another Amtrak dick for essentially the same thing. At no other train station of any kind have I ever encountered such paranoia and regimentation of paying customers; only San Diego. In a free society this totalitarian bent is quite unsettling.

 

[rtabern]

Nice to see you on the Empire Builder on Tuesday!!! Glad I could "start" and "end" the trip with you!!